


Last Hope

by cheesecakebitxh



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Bombing, F/M, Japan, Random & Short, Rushed romance, World War II, archetype - Freeform, eng assessment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:26:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28811097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheesecakebitxh/pseuds/cheesecakebitxh
Summary: this is an archetype of the Japanese fairytale that i wrote for my eng exam in 2019 which i had found when i was looking through my school report, enjoy!





	Last Hope

As the lecturer speaks to the class your attention span becomes shorter and shorter, boredom sweeps over you. Yawning, you glance outside to the bright blue cloudless sky and you’ve never felt so weary. This is what Eiko felt while sitting in the classroom. 

But this didn’t last any longer, suddenly a tremendous blinding flash filled the whole classroom like millions of camera flashes going off at once. The roaring was indescribable and a rush of heat swept into the classroom bringing shards of glass flying across. The sounds of college students screaming, buildings collapsing, cars screeching and the earth shaking rang in the air. Eiko had the sensation of floating before dropping back down. Pitch darkness. She tried to move but her body didn’t respond. 

Then it hit her. She was holding hands with the grim reaper. 

Eiko was proved wrong when shuffling and muffled cries of her classmates could be heard. Her eyes adjusted to the dark finally being able to see that she was crushed by the door of the classroom. A piece of rubble was removed and a single ray shone through the hole. Out of the blue, the weight on top of her disappeared and she was faced with the most handsome face she had ever seen. Behind the soot on his face and his ruffled hair were two perfectly almond shaped brown eyes. Eiko felt as if her world had immediately lit up. Glancing down to his nametag which surprisingly shone boldly, read Arakan. She snapped back to reality when she felt something wet gradually climbing down her leg, she touched her leg. 

Blood. 

Arakan finally spoke up, “Let's get you out of here before anything else happens.” Eiko slowly stood up before stumbling down again. Arakan’s muscular hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her up, “Are you ok?” he asked, his voice filled with worry. “Yep,” Eiko replied, rapidly turning away as she could feel her face turning red. Eiko limped out to the exposed world, she gasped. 

In her 19 years of life she had never witnessed anything so horrifying. On the streets were people though they didn’t look anything like human beings, their faces covered with blood, skin and flesh hanging off their bones, limps missing also even eyeballs hanging out of it sockets. As they slowly crawled out collapsing, their stomachs burst open with their intestines stretching out. 

Eiko suddenly thought of her family, bursting into tears. “I must go to my family,” she croaked to Arakan. He held her back, “No you can’t, if you do the chances of you surviving are very slim. You have to be selfish now, only think of yourself and your survival”. Eiko, calming herself peered across the horizon and there laid the blazing war-torn city of Hiroshima, her hometown, her childhood, her everything. 

Welcome to WWII…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Eiko flopped down onto a nearby rock while Arakan took out his first aid from his backpack which was miraculously in one piece. She flinched as a disinfectant wipe touched her wound, “Sorry,” Arakan breathed, wrapping a badge around it. “The name’s Eiko,” she said breaking the silence. “Eh?” Arakan was confused with her wording. “My name’s Eiko,” she repeated loudly. “Oh right, I’m Arakan,” he replied sheepishly. Eiko giggling replied, “Yes I know, motioning to his nametag. She suddenly realised that Arakan was relatively unhurt. Only his face and arms were covered in grime, his uniform slightly ripped but other than that he was perfectly fine. Arakan must have seen her eyeing his uniform with a puzzled look so he quickly broke the contact before she could ask any questions. 

They decided to resume their journey in search of a safe resting area. Eiko couldn’t stop thinking how Arakan was nowhere near hurt. She had considered herself lucky to actually be surviving with only a few burns and cuts but not having a single scratch on you after being in a bomb attack is surreal. 

The sun had disappeared below the horizon but its rays scattered across the atmosphere creating ravishing pink and purple hues. Arakan had abruptly stopped in his tracks, confused Eiko peeped from behind his tall figure and before them stood an abandoned minka. Her confusion exchanged to delight, at last they had stumbled upon a minka to dwell in. 

A rush of cold water had never felt so refreshing. She watched all the black dirt slide off her arms and legs eventually revealing her pale skin. Arakan’s shirt was too loose and his shorts were too baggy but Eiko felt safe in it. As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom the house erupted in laughter. It was Arakan, he was pointing at her unable to suppress his laughter at the sight of Eiko. She looked like a toothpick in a paper bag. Eiko put on a fake pout before joining him in laughing. “You look so small, how old are you?” he howled while clutching his stomach as if the laughter was painful. “Hey! I’m 19!.” exclaimed Eiko. “That means we’re the same age and you’re literally half the size of me. You better grow up.” Arakan joked back. Smiling, Arakan stood up collecting his pile of clothes and while walking past playfully ruffled Eiko’s hair. She turned around to see Arakan closing the bathroom door but opened a tiny crack just to give her a quick wink then shutting it again. In shock she stood there for a full minute before realising that she needed to get rebandaged. 

Ever so precise and steady, Eiko wrapped her arms and legs with the bandage provided in Arakan’s first aid kit. As she was positioning the last band-aid on her ankle, the bathroom door creaked open exploding with billowing clouds of steam. A shadow turned into a tall and lean figure. In a plain white shirt and grey shorts, Arakan looked so casual and relaxed. His wet hair was flipped out of his face and the all grime had been washed off his body. It was hard to believe that he works for the workforce after seeing him out of uniform. Although the room was dimly lit, Arakan could clearly see the adoration in Eiko’s brown puppy-eyes. Embarrassed, he avoided her eyes rubbing his neck and mumbled, “Uhh- l going to sleep now. Good night.” Eiko sighed. She looked forward to getting to know more about Arakan. “Good night,” she lamented dragging herself to the fusuma sliding door and took one last glance at Arakan before reluctantly closing it. 

Hours had passed and the ability of falling asleep seemed impossible, the soft humming of crickets echoed in her ears. Staring at the ceiling all Eiko could think of was Arakan. As much as she tried to push him out of her brain, his laughter, his bright smile, his sparkling eyes kept finding a way back to her thoughts. She dug her nose into his shirt, there it was, the faint subtle scent of homemade soap. Nostalgia smacked her right in the face. The memories of Eiko’s mother making homemade soap insidiously worked its way up into her mind. Whilst trembling she let a waterfall gushing down her cheeks, drenching the pillow and Arakan’s shirt but she couldn’t care less. 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Sunlight came in the form a square through the minka, hitting Eiko’s eye. She woke up, her eyes puffy, cheeks flustered and shirt all crumbled. Eventually, she pulled herself up, not bothered to fold the futon mattress. By the chabudai was Arakan nibbling on his plain bread roll, looking out the window as if he was under nature’s curse. Between each bite, he takes a moment to listen to the birds chirping and the tree branches dancing in the whistling wind. “Good morning,” Eiko said, breaking the tranquil morning atmosphere. Arakan instantly snapped out if his ‘curse’ and faced Eiko staring deep into her soul, almost like he was trying to decode her. Mesmerized by his pretty eyes, Eiko wasn’t aware how long she had been standing there, mouth agar. “Are you just going to stand there?” asked Arakan, startling Eiko. She smiled sheepishly, her face instantly flushing and hastily gave a bow beforehand then rushing off to the front door. Eiko laid her hand onto the wooden grip, hesitantly sliding it open. She would have sworn she saw the corners of Arakan’s lips perked up. 

Eiko, who was expecting a breeze was intensely struck with hot winds. The rainy season was over and this August was humid, hot and sticky with temperatures exceeding 35°C. The extra dose of radiation worsened it, the heat licking her face and like a serpent it coiled around Eiko’s limbs. ‘WHOOSH’ Eiko swiftly slammed the door and turned her back to the door, her eyes as large as saucepans and her chest rising up and down rapidly. “I thought it would be breezy,” she stammered. Arakan bit his lip, causing him to chuckle, the laugh lines around his eyes deepened. 

“Cute.” 

The word escaping from his mouth. They both stopped in their tracks. Eiko gradually drew her eyes towards Arakan who was holding his bread mid-air into his mouth. “What did you just say?” Eiko whispered, not believing her ears. “Uhh- nothing,” Arakan replied a little too hastily, looking down hiding behind his hair. He didn’t dare to look up for all he heard was the shuffling sounds of feet against the tatami flooring. 

Something brushed his hair out of his face, something soft and small leaving a tingling sensation on Arakan’s forehead. He peeped from under his long eyelashes only to see Eiko’s hand and her face inches away from his. Arakan’s ears turned as red as a Higanbana and he looked the other way, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Eiko’s silky hand slipped on top of his outstretched hand leaving him with no other choice but to face Eiko. It was warm, his whole hand tingling. Leaning in, she whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry, I’ll pretend you didn’t say anything.” She pulled back, her eyes locked on his, their noses just barely touching. Eiko hoped that she didn’t discomfort him, her heart almost beating out of her skin. Arakan, on the other hand, hoped that she wouldn’t pull back, a huge lump in his throat. 

Subdued rumbles broke the comforting silence. Eiko grasped her stomach thinking it would stop but despite her efforts it let out another whooping rumble. Eiko and Arakan shared a look before rolling on the floor in laughter again. “Here,” tittered Arakan while reaching in his backpack and handing her a plain roll of bread. Once Eiko laid her hands on the bread roll it went straight to her mouth, devouring it with large bites. Arakan sat back and watched Eiko stuff her face finding it amusing. She caught him smiling at her eating suddenly feeling uncomfortable and awkward. There were bread crumbs on her lap, the table and some stuck to the sides of her mouth. Realising her terrible table manners she immediately started wiping her mouth and brushing the crumbs off. “You’re cute when you eat,” Arakan smiled. “This time I mean it,” he added. Her heart filled with warmth and tingles, Eiko ducked her head hiding her smile. Breaking the ice, Eiko sprang her head up exclaiming, “Hey Arakan let’s watch the full moon tonight.” 

Arakan’s eyes flickered unsteadily and his pale face became more pale. “Arakan? Are you ok? Sorry if I said something wrong,” Eiko breathed, her voice full of angst. Arakan abruptly slammed his hands on the chadubai, the porcelain china trembling threatening to fall off and shatter. Not bothering about the rare tea set painted by the famous artist Ogata Kenzan. He shot up onto his feet already walking to the door. Eiko frenzied to Arakan, her feet getting tangled with each other. He turned around and simply gave a tight smile. “Please don’t follow me, I’m going to see the full moon alone.” Arakan said icily. He emphasised the word alone a little too severely, cutting Eiko deep as if he doesn’t enjoy her company. Maybe he never did. 

Gradually sliding the door open, Arakan stepped out into the roasting grass, the heat embracing him in a muggy hug. Sauntering away, he couldn’t help but replay Eiko’s face in his mind. She had tried to hide it behind a smile but failed, clearly showing hurt and despair. He had finally reached the lake, his thoughts disappeared when the sun cast its golden rays upon the waters, turning them into molten lava. 

Back at the minka Eiko was lifelessly staring at the ceiling, contemplating whether she should go after him or stay. Her heart ached as she replayed his face at that time. His eyes were as dull as stone, the smile of sparks died out and his swooning voice turned into frostbite. Sighing, Eiko laid there for an extra minute until deciding she couldn’t handle it anymore. She had to go. 

The best and only place to get a perfect view of the full moon was at the nearby lake. There he was, sitting at the edge of the bed. Arakan watches the lake, lost in the rhythmic pattern of ripples on the surface. His eyes, showing no emotions fixed on the appearing full moon, face aglow with the last tangerine rays before stars twinkle against the twilight sky. Eiko watched intently sensing that something will happen. Moments later the clouds parted like the curtains in a theatre show, exposing the bare full moon reflecting itself on the surface of the waters. Nothing stirred, everything seemed normal.

Eiko stood up to join Arakan but before she could even mutter the word gosh, streaks of light wrapped around Arakan lifting him into the air. His outstretched limbs morphed into wings and boney legs. His face transformed, his eyes becoming small and beady, his nose was stretched into a coarse leathery beak and pure white feathers sprouted from his skin. A small red emblem was planted against the white feathers. 

He was a crane. A cursed one.

Myths about the Curse of the Crane were always shared during childhood but Eiko had never believed in them. But now that she saw the transformation with her own eyes, she was speechless. A gasp escaped Eiko’s mouth. Arakan spun around to see Eiko and judging from her expression, he knew that she had seen the transformation. But there’s no turning back now, once someone had caught Arakan transforming he was to stay in the form of a crane for the rest of his life. In shock, disbelief and other emotions she could not express, Eiko slowly stepped toward Arakan. A single tear fell from her cheek. 

A flock of cranes swooped down to take Arakan away, forever. “NOOO!!!” Eiko managed to scream. Tears surged from her eyes, blurring her vision, choking her throat. Falling into her knees, she buried her head into her hands. It was all her fault. WHY?!! She should’ve stayed back at the minka. If she had done that, Arakan would have come back.

Her curiosity got the better of her, losing Arakan forever. And just like that, nineteen year old Eiko’s first love.... ended.

Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m really proud of how the story turned out. It was fun researching about the bombing and the Japanese culture and traditions. Though my research was not elaborate so I apologise if there are any errors in context. And I have no experience in love but I doubt anyone can fall in LOVE not just attraction but actual love with someone that quick. So yes, the romance was quick and rushed but I was not going to write a whole novel for my 45 minute exam.
> 
> Thank you with all my heart to those who took their time to read this!! Lots of love <3


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